Legislative session underway
Greetings Fellow Firefighters- By now the legislative session is well under way. The next few months are very important. The board will need your help as we navigate through the session. Please watch for our emails and facebook posts. There may be times when we need the help of members. Making your voice heard at the capital is very important. We as a board can only do so much when it comes to our legislative agenda.Please contact your state representatives and let your voice be heard.
I would like to thank John and Cyndi for their hard work and dedication for the IFA. Their work behind the scenes is vital and most do not see it. We as the board are put in this position to fight for you as the members. Any support we can get especially in the capital would be greatly appreciated. We will have updates often throughout the legislative session.
The Length of Service Awards Program(LOSAP) continues to be one
of our bills we will work on. This program has been so close to passing the
past few years and we will keep fighting for it. This program would greatly
benefit the recruitment and retention problem that most fire departments
are facing. This program would offer the volunteer firefighter a chance at
retirement funding following their years of dedicated service.
As stated in December we would like to invite any member to join our “Legislative Action Team”. These will be groups of dedicated volunteers working together to advocate for the policies that support Iowa' s volunteer fire departments. As a part of this team, you’ll have the opportunity to help shape the key legislation, like establishing a Length of Service Awards Program(LOSAP) to provide retirement benefits for long-serving volunteers. Advocating is simple and impactful. The team will keep you informed on legislative priorities, provide tools to reach out to lawmakers, and support you in sharing your story to amplify our message. If this is something you would be interested in helping us with, please contact the IFA office or any board member.
Mid year meeting is quickly approaching. This year it will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Cedar Falls March 27-30. Be sure to go to the IFA website and get signed up for the event. If there is anything anyone would be willing to donate for the event,, please let me know. Thank you!
Respectfully,
Aaron Clemons
IFA President